ft 


United  Suites  Department  of  Agriculture, 

HUKKAU    OF    PLANT    INDUSTRY, 

Western  Irrigation  Agriculture, 

WASHINGTON,    D.   C. 


THE  WORK  OF  THE  BELLE  FOURCHE  RECLAMATION 
PROJECT  EXPERIMENT  FARM  IN  1913. 

Bj  Bktsr   Vi  m  .  Far  Undent, 


|\  l  BOD!  I  l  l<»\. 

The  work  "f  the  Belle  Fourche  Experiment  Farm  consists  of  a 
number  of  field-crop  experiments,  1><>i1i  with  and  without  irrigation 
Prom  1907  t<>  1*H  I  nil  the  experiments  were  conducted  on  dry  land. 
Irrigation  water  was  Erst  broughl  to  the  farm  in  1912,  when  experi- 
ments under  irrigation  were  commenced.1  The  work  of  the  farm 
includes  field  teste  with  grains,  forage  crops,  vegetables,  orchard 
and  Bhade  trees,  and  a  number  of  rotation  and  tillage  experiments. 
The  arrangement  <>f  the  fields  and  the  location  of  the  experiments 
in  1913  are  shown  in  figure  l . 

COOPERATION. 

Much  of  the  experimental  work  is  done  in  cooperation  with  other 

offices  of  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  and  with  the  Forest  Service. 
The  nature  and  extent  of  this  work  is  here  indicated. 

'  Laboratory.    The  Biophysical  Laboratory   cooperates 
in  nil  climatological  and  physical  observations.     This  work  includes 


'The  Belle   K.mn-he  BxpablMUt  Kir  .  ;i„   F,Hir.  lie  (S.  Dak.) 

w,,i'  '"  '    '  ■  Itbdl  iun 

from  entry  l>y  the  lVnirtimMU  of  the  Invn.ir  riment  farrti.     Tl  ■  index 

,',ll,r'  .    if  Plant  2nd 

nf  the  l"nr  ,':it  of  Agrfcolton  tnd  b  in  i 

rul'ure.      \ 

»   V  report  of  the  work  ofthii  firm  in  I"!  J  m  la  puUMied  in  Bureau  of  1'lin' 

" 

m  MOOUntol  the  progress  made  in  fit  in  .■  \  [>.Tiiri.-:.r ,  *  n),  I 

land  cxpwtDMBta  at  ti.  . 

c,»)  time  anil  m-  i)  the  use  of  flax  as  a  1  >nof 

Iff)  Uiwrhliaits  In  fan  a  different  •  .  v|>enment<t  with  •  -  L* 

with  ■■  illy  for. ii-tnb:;!ir,n  t„  fie  f.irmers  of  th.-  —.'U- 

■ii  I'mje.  t  in  order  th.it  they  •■  -ious  expert 

and  as  to  the  method  ■;  of  pro.  I  urine  the  differetc  •  ,ps. 

M548*-U 


measurements  of  rainfall,  wind  velocity,  evaporation,  temperature, 
and  soil-moisture  studies. 

Dry-Land  Agriculture. — The  Office  of  Dry-Land  Agriculture  uses 
about  20  acres,  divided  into  one-tenth-acre  plats,  for  rotation  and 
tillage  experiments,  above  the  canal.  These  experiments  include 
continuous  cropping  by  ordinary  methods  and  moisture-conservation 
methods  compared  with  alternate  cropping  and  summer-fallowing, 
a  comparison  of  various  3-year  rotations,   and  crop  rotations  for 


BELLI  FOURCHE 
EAFfRJflFNT  FAfT! 


GATED 
TS 


Fig.  1. — Diagram  of  the  Belle  Fourche  Experiment  Farm,  showing  the  arrangement  of  the  fields  and 
the  location  of  the  crop  experiments  in  1913. 

the  conservation  of  humus.     An  assistant  in  dry-land  agriculture 
is  detailed  to  the  farm  to  supervise  this  work. 

t '<  real  Investigations. — This  office  has  charge  of  the  variety  testing 
of  grains  suited  to  dry-land  conditions  and  of  plant-breeding  work 
with  the  most  promising  varieties  of  grains.  During  the  years  1912 
and  1913  much  time  was  devoted  to  investigations  as  to  the  best 
tune  and  method  of  seeding  whiter  wheat.  An  assistant  detailed 
by  the  Office  of  Cereal  Investigations  has  charge  of  these  experiments. 
Approximately  20  acres  of  land  are  used. 


Alkali  <iin!  Drought  Resistant  Plant  Investigations.  This  office  does 
variety  besting  and  plant  breeding  work  with  forage  crops,  including 
alfalfa,  brome-grass,  western  wheal  grass,  Borghum,  and  millet, 
and  conducts  studies  of  the  water  requirements  of  the  different 
varieties  and  strains  tested.  About  15  acres  of  land  arc  devoted  to 
the  work,  and  an  assistant  is  detailed  ti>  supervise  the  experiments 

Corn  Investigations  and  Sugar  Plant  Investigations.  The  Offices  of 
Corn  [nvestigations  and  Sugar-Plant  Investigations  cooperate  in  the 
work  with  corn  and  sugar  beets,  respectively,  each  office  using 
about  2  acres  of  land.  The  tests  with  these  crops  include  variety 
testing  and  tillage  experiments. 

Forest  Service.  The  I  oited  States  Forest  Service  cooperates  in 
the  testing  of  trees  for  wood  l"t  and  windbreak  purposes.     A.bou<  9 

acres  of  land  arc  used  for  tliis  purpose. 

CONDITIONS  ON  THE  PROJECT. 
CUM  vile  CONDITIONS 

The  season  of  1913  was  rather  le^-,  favorable  to  small-grain  crops 
than  the  average  season.  This  was  due  in  pari  to  the  late  spring, 
no  field  work  being  done  until  after  April  15.  While  at  that  time 
there  was  sufficient  moisture  in  the  soil  to  bring  up  the  grain,  the 
later  seedings  came  up  \>t\  unevenlj  and  some*  failed  to  germinate 
until  after  the  rain-,  which  came  the  latter  part  of  Ma\.  so  that  in 
many  instances  poor  stands  were  obtained.  The  conditions  were 
somewhat  more  favorable  to  alfalfa  and  corn,  both  of  uh'nh  produced 
higher  yields  than  in  1912.  On  June  _'_'  a  hailstorm  on  the  northern 
part  of  the  project,  damaged  all  the  crops  to  some  extent,  but  no 
serious  damage  was  done  at  the  experiment  farm.  The  rainfall  up  to 
•Inly  I  was  vers  nearly  normal,  while  that  in  July,  August,  and  the 
ftrsl  half  >A'  September  was  verj  much  le>s  than  the  normal.  The 
total  for  the  year  was  12.53  inches,  which  was  slightlj  below  the 
average  for  the  pasl  aix  years.  The  climatologies!  observations 
made  during  the  sis  years  from  L908  to  1913,  inclusive,  -.iy>'  sum- 
marized in  Table  I  . 


Tabu    1      Summary  of  dimatola  Belle  Fourth  •,,,/ 

Fan 


Mily. 

Dei  - 

I90B 

1910. 

17 

10 

l  86 

l  16 

M 

17 

1   M 

1.  17 

II      1.43 

1  W 

1.07 

1  v. 

0  -ii 

11 

,04 

0  pi 

1  28 

1  I  16 
17  73 

1911 

1013. 

in  i 

.34 

.25 

.76 

1.58 

1.19 

1.88 

.97 

.36 

.53 

Table  I. 


-Summary  of  cli radiological  observations  at  the  Belle  Fourche  Experiment 
Form,  1908  to  1913,  inclusive— (Umiinued. 


Evaporation  i  i.\<  hi 


Year,  etc. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

Apr. 

May.   June. 

July. 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec.  j  Total. 

1908 

5.53 
3.65 

5.41 
4.05 
i.  85 

4.71 

5.92 

('..  42 
5.31 

6.82 

,v  si; 
8.98 

8.08 

7.70 
10.42 

10.71 

7.  s7 
8.25 
7.30 
8  68 
6.60 
8.14 

6.75 

5.00 
4.31 
6.11 

3.71 
4.71 

40  97 

1909 

36  88 

1910 

41.73 
40.09 
37  74 

1911 

s.  30    10.21 

1912 

6.  42     8. 18     7. 92 
4.30  1  7.05  ]  8.24 

1913 

4.80 

6.11 

7.85 

8.85 

7.47 

5.10 

40.19 

Daily  Wind  Velocity  (Miles  per  Hour). 


Mean: 

1908 

8.3 
10.1 

8.2 
11.6 
11.1 

5.9 

19.6 
21.7 
22.0 
19.4 
25.3 
12.4 

2.1 
2.6 
1.6 
3.9 
2.9 
1.2 

„ 

6.2 

9.3 

9.1 

7.1, 
6.8 

12.1 
12.9 
19.4 
20.7 
17.5 
18.9 

1.7 
2.9 
3.1 
4.5 
2.8 
2.  1 

5.0 
6.0 

7.7 
7.9 
6.0 
5.8 

12.9 
11.6 
17.6 

19.4 
10.0 
14.4 

1.7 
2.5 
3.0 
2.8 
3.0 
1.7 

0.8 
5.6 
6.6 

7.2 
6.9 
5.1 

9.0 
11.8 
17.6 
15.2 
12.4 

9.0 

2.5 
2.5 
2.9 
2.6 
2.1 
1.9 

6.5 
5.7 
6.2 

7.7 
7.6 
4.5 

13.8 
9.8 
12.1 
15.9 
26.3 
13.8 

2.9 
2.5 
2.2 
2..-. 
1.5 
.9 

1909 

9.1 
9.2 
9.2 
9.5 
6.2 

(i.  3 
7.1 

5.5 
6.5 
10.0 

1910 

6.3 
9.6 
6.6 

9.2 
7.6 

1911 

1912 

7.5 
6.9 

5.8 
7.3 

Maximum: 

1909 

26.8 
23.8 
18.6 
24.9 
16.5 

13.8 
18.3 

15.0 

](,.  7 
21.7 

1910 

18.9 

19.6 
18.8 

28.0 
15.0 

1911 

1912 

18.8 
17.5 

11.4 
16.  7 

Minimum: 

loos 

1909 

2. 5 
3.1 
3.3 
3.0 
1.3 

2.1 
2.5 

.9 
2.5 
1.3 

1910 

1.7 
2.4 

1.8 

1.8 
2.1 

1911 

1.2 

.8 

.s 
2.1 

1912 

1913 

Monthly  Temperature  (°F.). 


Mean: 

1908... 

1909... 

1910... 

1911... 

1912... 

1913... 
Maximum: 

1908... 

1909... 

1910... 

1911... 

1912... 

1913... 
Minimum: 

1908... 

1909... 

1910... 

1911... 

1912... 

1913... 


—  19 
—26 

—  7 
—12 
—14 


7^ 


52 

63 

52 

66 

52 

68 

,-,s 

73 

55 

66 

53 

66 

79 

90 

st 

95 

si 

108 

90 

101 

84 

101 

95 

98 

29 

39 

22 

45 

27 

30 

23 

43 

32 

39 

J'. 

4.5 

73 
70 
76 
71 
70 
70 

100 
100 
109 
105 
94 
101 

43 

11 
44 
41 
40 
42 


68 

75 
68 
65 
68 

74 

101 
105 
101 
100 
95 
104 

39 
45 

32 
32 

47 
45 


64 
61 
59 
59 
52 
59 

105 
96 
97 
94 
94 
97 

22 
31 
30 
35 
24 
29 


37 

21 
31 
25 
38 
37 

75 
73 
67 
58 
70 
64 

0 

—  7 

s 

—  8 
11 
14 


22 
10 
2.5 
20 
28 
23 

49 
49 
52 
51 
57 
51 

-12 
—23 
—13 
—25 
2 
—  1 


Killing  Frosts. 


Season. 


I.asl  spring  frost 

First  fall  frost 

Frost-free  period days 


May    21 

Sept.  22 

128 


1909  1910  1911  1912 


May    1^      Mav    21 

Sept.  24      Sept.  26 

UN  127 


1913 


Mav   12  |  May     4     Mav     o 

Oct.      4      Sept.  25      Sept.  24 

lti,  141  141 


6-year 
average. 


136 


(  nor  i  ONDI  i  ions 

The  urea  of  land  devoted  to  Geld  crops  on  t he  Belle  Fourche 
project  in  L913  was  larger  l>\  aboul  8,000  acres  than  in  1912,  an 
increase  <>f  aboul  32  per  cent.  The  total  irrigated  area  of  th< 
farms  on  i he  project  in  L913  was  32,851  aire--.  Of  this  an  area  of 
313  acre-  was  devoted  to  young  alfalfa  and  miscellaneous  crops  nol 
harvested,  bo  thai  the  area  from  which  crops  were  harvested  eon 
tained  32,568  acre--.  The  area  devoted  to  alfalfa  in  1913  amounted 
to  aim ui  9,000  acres,  which  is  2]  times  as  large  as  the  area  from  which 
alfalfa  was  harvested  in  l'.MJ.  In  1913  corn  ami  small  grains  were 
grown  on  a  ho  nt  21,000  acres,  or  about  64  percent  of  the  total  cropped 
area  of  the  project.     The  acreage,  yields,  and  farm  values  of  the 

crops   produced   on    the   project    in    1913    are  -tated    in   Table    II.    the 

figures  being  obtained  from  the  United  States  Reclamation  Service. 


Tabi  ^  II      Acreage,  yields,  and  farm  values  of  crops  on  tht  Belle  Fourche  project  ii*  1913. 


I'llll  of 

yield. 

Yield. 

r  ■rm  \  tine. 

Crop 

Tol..l. 

Per 

Per 

unit 

ol 
yield. 

Per 

mum. 

Alt- 

m  ad- 
mum. 

Alt  ill  i  ti  n 

711 

i.7 

8 

1,859 

m 

177 

M 

71 

I'on 

Bushel. . .. 

do 

lull      



Bushel 

In.  101 

117 
17 

-■  i 
l  i 

t.   7 

IS  i 

1  0 

1  7 



19.0 

..    1.! 

80 
2  00 

Ml 

VII 

1,540 

64,708 

1.990 

1"..  I-'-' 
161 

9  .'1 

1  1     VI 

1   11 

21  M 
B  M 

13. 11 

51    7'. 
•     !■! 
8.94 

■32  80 

AH.iif  i  Med 

.    .  . 
. .... 

Com.. 

Corn  tedder 

16  <•! 

Garden 



101,768 

- 

.'7  0 
71   5 

i  00 

" 

29  mi 

• 

10  s 

11  '1 

35.0 

13  00 

21  00 

L*w  duplii  II 

Total 

- 

EXPERIMENTS  WITH  IRRIGATED  CROPS. 
CROP  Koi  u  ion>. 

In  the  spring  of  1912  a  series  of  32  rotation  experiment'-  under 
irrigation  was  commenced.  Field  A.  which  i-  used  for  these  experi- 
ments, contains  ss>  quarter-acre  plats.  A  portion  of  this  field  is  Bhown 
in  figure  2.  The  following  crops  arc  grown  in  various  sequence-: 
Alfalfa,  sugar  beets,  clover,  flax,  oats,  wheat,  barley,  corn,  and 
potatoes.  Bach  of  these  crops  is  also  grown  continuously  on  the 
same  plat  each  year  for  the  purpose  of  comparing  continuous  cropping 
with  crop  rotation.     Tlu>  rotation  experiments  include  eleven  2-yeai 


rotations,  four  4-year  rotations,  three  3-year  rotations,  and  six  6-year 
rotations.  Table  III  gives  the  number  of  plats  devoted  to  each  crop 
in  these  experiments  and  the  minimum,  maximum,  and  average 
yields  obtained  in  1913. 


Table  III. —  Yields  per  acre  of  crops  grown  in  the  irrigation  rotation  experiments  at  tht 
Belle  Fourche  Experiment  Farm  in  1918. 


Yield  per  aero 

Number 

Crop. 

ol  plats. 

Minimum. 

Maximum. 

Average. 

15 

Sus?ar  beets 

4.7 

10.7 

7.S 

1* 

Oats 

24.1 

54.5 

39.0 

2 

Barley 

do.... 

14 

14.8 

14.4 

6 

Wheat 

do..  . 

13.7 

31.3 

19.9 

13 

do.... 

74 

176 

112.5 

6 

Corn 

do.... 

21.6 

43 

34 

3 

Flax 

do.... 

fi.  1 

18.6 

13.4 

12 

Alfalfa 

.  75 

5.3 

2.6 

Fig.  2.- 


-A  view  in  field  A,  where  the  irrigated  crop-rotation  experiments  are  in  progress.    Thirty- 
two  different  cropping  systems  are  being  tested. 


The  seed  used  in  the  first  planting  of  beets,  made  on  May  1,  failed 
to  make  a  satisfactory  stand,  and  the  plats  were  all  replanted  on 
June  17.  A  good  stand  was  secured  from  the  second  planting,  but 
the  lateness  of  this  planting  probably  reduced  the  yield  considerably. 
The  average  yield  per  acre  of  the  beets  was  only  0.17  ton  higher  than 
in  1912,  but  the  percentage  of  sugar  and  the  purity  were  very  much 
higher.  The  average  sugar  content  was  19.1  per  cent  in  1913,  as 
compared  with  14.8  per  cent  in  1912,  and  the  average  purity  was 
91.2  per  cent,  as  compared  with  82  per  cent  the  year  before.  In  1913 
the  best  yield  of  beets  was  obtained  on  land  which  produced  potatoes 


iii  1912  The  lowest  yield  in  L 91 3  was  obtained  where  beet  followed 
beet 

The  beei  yield  obtained  from  the  Is*  plate  "f  oats  was  from  land 
which  produced  potatoes  in  1912,  and  the  lowest  yield  was  obtained 
from  the  plat  which  had  been  continuously  cropped  to  oats.  The 
average  yield  of  oats  was  39  bushels  per  acre  in  1913,  as  compared 
with  51 .9  bushels  per  acre  in  l!>  1 2. 

The  highest  wheal  yield  obtained  in   1913,  31.3  bushels  per 
was  obtained  on  land  which  produced  beets  in  1912,  and  the  lowest 
yield  was  secured  from  the  continuously  cropped  wheat  plat. 

The  yield  of  potatoes  was  probablj  reduced  bj  a  frost  which 
occurred  on  September  24,  when  the  vines  were  Btill  green.  The 
average  yield  was  only  112.5  bushels  per  acre.  The  highest  yield 
was  obtained  <>u  alfalfa  land,  which  produced   176  bushels  per  acre. 

The  average  yield  of  corn  was  ■'<  l  bushels  per  acre,  winch  was  5 
bushels  more  than  the  yield  obtained  in  1912.  The  highest  yield  was 
obtained  where  corn  followed  barley. 

The  three  plats  of  flax  averaged  13.4  bushels  per  acre,  practically 
the  same  as  in  1912.  The  best  yield  was  obtained  from  land  which 
produced  beets  in  1912,  and  the  Lowest  yield  was  secured  from  the 
plat  which  has  been  continuously  cropped  to  flax.  Prom  the  obser- 
vations made  in  1  u  I  ">  it  appears  that  the  flax  should  be  kept  in  good 
growing  condition  up  to  the  time  of  full  bloom  and  that  no  irrigation 

Water  should  he  applied  after  that   time.      Late  irrigation  appear-  to 

prevent  the  flax  from  ripening  evenly,  and  it  Btarts  new  branches 
from  the  lower  joint-.  Tin-  causes  some  difficulty  both  in  harvesl  ing 
and  thrashing  and  also  lowers  the  quality  of  the  aeed.     The  highest 

yield  of  alfalfa  -ceded  in  the  spring  of  I'M.",  was  2.3  ton-  per  acre,  and 

the  lowesl  0.75  ton.  The  average  yield  of  all  the  first-year  plats 
Was  1  .-'11  tons  per  acre.  The  highest  yield  per  acre  obtained  from  the 
alfalfa  planted  in  1912  was  5.36  ton-,  the  lowest  was  2.86  tons,  and 

the  average  of  all  t he  plat-  was  •'!.  19  ton-. 

PASTI  ltl\<.    vl. I  Ml  \   Willi   HOGS 
In  rotation  <i">,  a  6-year  rotation  of  corn,  (lax.  oat-,  and  three  yea r- 

of  alfalfa.,  hogs  were  pastured  on  the  second-year  alfalfa.  The  plan 
of  the  experiment  contemplates  that  the  hogs  will  he  pastured  on 
third-year  alfalfa,  hut  as  the  experiment  was  not  started  until  1912 
it  wa-  accessary  to  pasture  second-year  alfalfa  in  1913.  On  May  20, 
I'M:;,  three  hogs,  averaging  1">-">  pounds  each,  were  turned  on  the 
quarter-acre  plat.  A.  ration  of  _»  pounds  of  equal  part-  of  ground 
wheat,  oats,  and  barley  per  day  for  each  I  nil  pound-  of  live  weight 
wa-  used  a-  a  supplement ary  feed.  The  hogs  Were  left  OH  the  plat 
for  .V.)  days,  when  it  was  found  accessary  to  remove  them  to  allow 
the  alfalfa    to    gTOW  up.      On  July  '2  the  hogs  were  again   placed   in 


8 

tho  pasture.  It  was  found  that  the  alfalfa  was  soon  overgrazed,  and 
the  hogs  were  removed  on  August  0,  after  being  on  the  plat  for  35 
days.  During  the  two  periods,  74  days,  the  hogs  gained  171  pounds. 
In  making  this  gain  they  consumed  T.'iS  pounds  of  ground  feed, 
which,  at  $1.25  a  hundred,  was  worth  $0.22.  The  171  pounds  of 
gain,  at  the  local  market  price  of  7  cents,  was  worth  $11.97,  so  that 
the  net  value  of  the  gain  from  the  alfalfa  was  $2.75  on  one-fourth 
acre,  or  $11  an  acre. 

It  was  thought  that  better  results  would  be  obtained  if  younger 
bogs  were  used  and  if  the  plat  was  divided  so  that  half  the  land  would 
be  pastured  while  the  alfalfa  was  growing  on  the  other  half.  Accord- 
ingly, the  plat  was  subdivided  on  August  7,  and  eight  hogs,  averaging 
39  pounds  each,  were  turned  into  the  alfalfa.  They  were  pastured 
alternately  on  the  two  subdivisions  of  the  plat  for  20  days.  During 
this  time  they  were  fed  335  pounds  of  the  ground  feed,  which,  at  $1.25 
a  hundred,  was  worth  $4.19.  The  hogs  gained  96  pounds  in  the  20 
days.  This  gain,  at  7  cents  a  pound,  was  worth  $6.72.  The  net 
gain,  then,  from  the  quarter  acre  of  alfalfa  for  the  20  days  was  $2.53, 
or  $10.12  an  acre.  The  younger  hogs  on  the  subdivided  plat  netted 
practically  as  much  in  20  days  as  the  larger  hogs  on  the  same  plat 
not  subdivided  netted  in  74  days.  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the 
desirability  of  using  relatively  young  hogs  and  of  subdividing  the 
land  to  be  pastured  if  the  alfalfa  is  to  be  used  to  the  best  advantage. 

While  the  results  obtained  in  this  work  in  1913  were  not  as  good  as 
might  be  expected,  they  indicate  that  to  use  the  alfalfa  land  for  hog 
pasture  can  be  made  a  very  profitable  method  of  disposing  of  the 
alfalfa  crop.  The  net  value  of  the  gains  made  by  the  hogs  in  this 
experiment  was  $21.12  per  acre  for  the  entire  season.  The  average 
yield  of  alfalfa  on  13  quarter-acre  plats  in  the  same  field  in  1913  was 
3.5  tons  per  acre.  Assuming  that  the  pastured  plat  would  have 
yielded  at  this  rate,  the  value  of  the  gain  made  by  the  hogs  was 
equivalent  to  $6.03  per  ton  for  the  alfalfa  consumed.  The  average 
yield  of  the  third  crop  was  1.14  tons  per  acre.  The  young  hogs  which 
were  pastured  during  a  part  of  the  growing  period  of  the  third  crop 
made  a  net  gain  of  $10.12  per  acre,  which  was  equivalent  to  about 
$9  a  ton  for  the  alfalfa  consumed.  During  the  season  the  market 
price  of  alfalfa  hay  on  the  project  was  about  $5  a  ton. 

HOGGING  CORN. 

The  corn  plat  in  rotation  65  is  to  be  harvested  by  hogs  each  year. 
In  1913  the  eight  young  hogs  used  in  the  alfalfa  pasturing  experiment 
were  turned  into  the  corn  plat  on  September  15.  At  the  time  the 
hogs  were  put  on  the  corn  plat  they  averaged  51  pounds  each.  The}7 
were  left  in  the  corn  for  11  days,  during  which  time  they  consumed 
all  of  the  crop.     During  this  period  they  gained  140  pounds  from  the 


quarter  acre  of  corn,  or  560  pounds  per  acre.  This  gain,  .-it  the  local 
market  price  of  7  cents  per  pound,  \\a-  worth  $39  20  an  acre.  The 
average  \  ield  of  corn  on  the  aix  < >i  In  r  plats  in  the  Bame  field  was  •';  1.04 
bushels  per  acre.  Assuming  thai  the  hogged  plal  produced  al  the 
average  rate,  the  gain  made  \>\  the  hogs  was  worth  11.13  a  bushel 
for  the  corn  consumed.  The  market  price  of  ruin  on  the  project 
BO  cents  a  bushel. 

In  1912,  bogs  pastured  <>n  corn  in  the  same  experiment  made  a  net 
gain  worth  I  hi  acre.     The  average  \  ield  i>f  corn  in  the  rotation 

held  in  1912  was  29.9  bushels  per  acre,  so  that  the  gains  made  by  the 
lui^s  were  equivalent  to  91  cents  a  bushel  for  the  corn  consumed  if  it 
i-  assumed  that  the  hogged  plat  produced  an  average  yield. 

The  results  secured  in  1912  and  1913  indicate  thai  hogging  is  one 
of  the  moat   profitable  methods  of  disposing  of  the  •■urn  crop.     It 
should  be  remembered  that  the  figures  given  do  col  include  the  cosl 
of  harvesting  the  corn  by  the  usual  methods  and  thai  this  amount' 
should  be  added  to  the  figures  giving  the  oel  return-  per  acre.     The 

fact  that  the  manure  from  the  hogs  i-  left  on  the  land  when  the  corn 
is  hogged  is  another  important   point   to  he  considered. 

RATE  Ol    SE1  l>lN'.    iihin 

All  experiment   to  determine  the  most  satisfactory   rate  at  which  to 

seed  alfalfa  was  started  in  L913  on  land  that  was  summer-fallowed 
during  the  season  of  1912.     The  alfalfa  was  seeded  June  5  with  a  disk 

drill.  The  crop  was  clipped  once  during  the  \ear.  hut  there  was  not 
enough  plant  growth  to  determine  hay  yields.  Table  IV  -how-  the 
rates  of  seeding  and  the  stand  obtained  from  each  rate   and    al-o  the 

percentage  of  seeds  producing  plants.  The  figures  in  the  last  column 
are  based  on  the  assumption  that  a  pound  of  alfalfa  seed  contains 
225,000  seeds. 

Tabi  i   i 

I 


1 

'!(/.'. 

302,000 

ID 

- 

5 

u 

5 

a 

5 
4 
3 

13 

14 

149,000 

. 

51548       !i 


10 

The  final  results  of  (his  experiment  will  not  be  obtained  until 
several  crops  of  hay  have  been  harvested.  From  the  results  obtained 
in  1913  it  appears  that  rates  varying  from  8  to  15  pounds  per  acre  are 
sufficiently  high,  so  far  as  satisfactory  stands  are  concerned,   but 

additional  results  must  be  secured  before  the  relative  desirability  of 
tin1  different  rates  can  be  determined. 

TIME  AND  METHOD  OF  SEEDING   ALFALFA. 

Alfalfa  can  be  seeded  on  the  Belle  Fourche  project  at  any  time 
from  early  spring  until  midsummer,  but  the  most  convenient  time  is 
just  before  planting  potatoes,  corn,  and  sugar  beets,  or  else  about  one 
month  later,  after  these  intertilled  crops  are  planted.  An  experi- 
ment was  started  in  1913  on  field  A-III  to  determine  which  of  these 
two  planting  periods  is  the  better.  The  plantings  were  made  on 
(piart er- acre  plats.  On  some  of  the  plats  alfalfa  was  planted  with  a 
nurse  crop  of  wheat  to  determine  whether  that  method  is  desirable. 
The  four  plats  planted  with  a  nurse  crop  are  compared  with  those  in 
which  alfalfa  was  planted  alone.  On  two  plats  the  nurse  crop  was 
cut  for  hay,  while  on  the  other  two  the  wheat  was  harvested  for  the 
grain.  On  three  plats  the  alfalfa  was  planted  in  rows  21  inches  apart 
and  cultivated.  The  chief  reason  for  planting  in  rows  was  to  experi- 
ment with  this  method  of  alfalfa-seed  production.  The  yields 
obtained  in  this  experiment  in  1913  are  given  in  Table  V. 

Tabi  e  V.      Yit tlds  obtained from  different  linn. sand  rru '.(hods  of  feeding  alfalfa  at  the  Belle 
Fourche  Experiment  Farm  in  WIS. 


Avei 

per  acre. 

Method  ;iik1  time  of  seeding. 

Num- 
ber 
of 
plats. 

Alfalfa. 

1 

First 
crop. 

Second 
crop. 

Total. 

hay. 

Wheat. 

\\  n  bout  nurse  crop,  May  9  (early) 

3 

3 
2 
2 
3 

Tons. 

U.  78 
.  50 

Tons. 

0.31 

.21 

Tom. 
1  09 

.71 

Tons. 

Bushels. 

1.42 

With  nurse  crop,  Mav  9,  cut  for  grain 

2^.2 

I  n  21-inch  rows,  June  5 

.31 

.18 

.  1!' 

It  is  seen  that  the  early-seeded  alfalfa  yielded  somewhat  more 
than  that  seeded  late.  Assuming  that  the  price  of  wheat  hay  is  the 
same  as  that  of  alfalfa  hay,  about  $5  a  ton,  planting  with  a  nurse  crop 
and  harvesting  the  wheat  as  hay  gave  larger  returns  per  acre  than 
plant  big  the  alfalfa  alone.  When  the  cost  of  harvesting  and  thrashing 
the  wheat  for  grain  is  considered,  it  is  seen  that  this  method  is  less 
profitable  than  either  of  the  two  methods  previously  mentioned,  for 
the  yield  of  2S.2  bushels  per  acre  is  little  more  than  sufficient  to  pay 


II 

the  cost  of  production  on  irrigated  land.  The  returns  for  the  row 
plantings  were  thosmallosl  obtained  in  the  experiment.  1 1  Bhould  be 
remembered  thai  these  statements  appl}  to  the  firs!  year's  resulte 
only.  The  final  effecl  of  time  .•  1 1 1 < I  method  of  Beeding  can  nol  !><• 
known  until  the  alfalfa  yields  to  be  obtained  from  the  different 
methods  have  been  determined  for  two  or  three  years,  The  stands 
of  alfalfa  obtained  appear  to  be  practically  the  same  in  all  cases, 
except,  of  course,  when  the  alfalfa  was  planted  in  rows. 

i  III     i  SI    01    i  i.\\    \-,    I  NURSE  CROP  FOR    \i  I  \i  I  \ 

Aii  experiment  i"  determine  the  value  of  flax  as  a  nurse  crop  for 
a  I  I'fil  fa  was  started  in  1913  on  field  K.     One  acre  was  seeded  to  alfalfa 

ai  1 1 m>  rate  of  Kt  pounds  per  acre,  wiih  ila\  - led  ai  the  rate  of  l- 

pounds  per  acre  as  a  nurse  crop.  A.bou1  5.S  acres  of  Land  adjoining 
this  was  seeded  to  alfalfa  alone,  ai  the  rate  of  10  pounds  per  acr< 
The  seeding  was  Hour  on  May  7.  Shortly  after  Beeding,  a  beav\ 
rain  packed  and  crusted  the  Boil  in  this  Geld.  The  flax,  germinal 
much  more  promptly  than  the  alfalfa,  appeared  to  break  tin-  crusl 
and  to  give  the  alfalfa  a  better  chance  to  come  through.  The  alfalfa 
seeded  alone  yielded  ai  the  rate  of  0.5  ton  per  acre.  No  hay  yield 
was  obtained  from  the  Meld  where  flax  was  used  as  a  nurse  crop,  hut 
the  flax  produced  8.4  bushels  of  seed  per  acre.  A  good  stand  was 
obtained  by  both  methods,  but   the  alfalfa  appeared  to  be  slighth 

thicker  where  flax  was  USed  a->  a  OUTSe  eiop.      Counts  made  on  reptv 

sentative  area--  in  the  fall  of  1913  indicated  thai  where  the  alfalfa 

was  planted   alone  there  were    1  Hi. nun   plants   per  acre  as  compared 

with  a  stand  of  151,000  plants  where  the  flax  was  used  as  a  nurse 
crop.  Considering  the  cosl  of  culture  during  the  year,  the  nel  value 
of  the  crop  obtained  when-  flax  was  used  as  a  nurse  crop  was  slightly 
higher  than  that  of  the  alfalfa  planted  alone-.  The  results  secured  in 
1913  indicate  that  the  use  of  flax  a-  a  nurse  crop  may  prove  to  he 
a  profit  able  prad  ice. 

DtRIG  mion  or   kLFAJLFA. 

An  experiment  was  conducted  in  I'M:;  to  determine  the  effect  of 
tin-  late-fall  irrigation  and  tin-  early-spring  irrigation  of  alfalfa  as 
compared  with  irrigating  in  the  usual  way.     The  experiment  was 

conducted    on    five   ipiarter-acre    plat--    in    held    A.      Two    plats    were 

irrigated  in  the  fall  of  1912,  one  was  irrigated  early  in  the  spring  of 
1913,  and  two  were  irrigated  in  the  usual  way,  the  first  irrigation 
having  been  applied  June  ■">.  I'M:;.  The  plats  irrigated  late  in  the 
fall  of  1912  and  the  plat  irrigated  early  in  the  spring  of  I'M:;  were 
otherwise  irrigated  in  the  usual  way.  Tin-  precipitation  during  the 
fall  of  1912  and  the  winter  of  1912    13  was  unusuallv  hca\\    and   the 


12 

soil  on  all  the  plats  contained  an  abundance  of  moisture,  so  that 
little  effecl  was  produced  by  irrigation  in  the  fall  and  early  spring. 
The  yields  of  alfalfa  hay  from  the  different  plats  indicated  no  im- 
portant effect  of  late-fall  or  early-spring  irrigation.  It  is  probable 
that  in  seasons  having  a  light  fall  and  winter  precipitation  fall 
irrigation  or  early-spring  irrigation  would  have  a  beneficial  effect . 
Whether  or  not  this  will  be  the  case  remains  to  be  determined. 

VARIETY  TEST  OF  CORN. 

In  1913  nine  varieties  of  coin  were  tested,  both  on  dry  land  and 
under  irrigation.  The  varieties  all  failed  to  produce  a  crop  of  grain 
on  the  dry  land.  The  yields  obtained  on  irrigated  land  are  shown 
in  Table  VI,  being  calculated  on  a  basis  of  12  per  cent  moisture. 
The  varieties  were  planted  in  duplicate  plats  two  rows  wide  and  110 
feet  long,  the  work  being  done  in  cooperation  with  the  Office  of  Corn 
Investigations. 

Table  VI. — Average  yields  of  nine  varieties  of  vim  n>  the  Bell*    Fourche  Expern 

Farm,  mi.;. 


Variety. 


Marten's  White  Dent 
Northwestern  Dent. . 
U.S.  Selection  133... 
Payne's  White  Dent . 
Disco  Dent 


1  late  of 
maturity. 

Yield  per 
acre. 

Sept.  11 
Sept.    4 
Sepl.  13 
Sep1 .  1 1 

Sepl.  15 

Bushels. 
60. 4 
56. 2 
56.2 

.")5.  3 
4").  ■"> 

Variety. 


Brown  Counly  Yellow  . 
Ardmoie  Yellow  Denl 

Disco  Flint 

Minnesota  No.  2.; 

Average 


Date  of 
maturity. 


Sept.    6 

..do 

Sept.  13 
Sept.    6 


Yield  per 
acre. 


Bushels. 
51.2 
49.2 
45.5 
38.6 
51.8 


The  highest  yield  was  produced  by  Marten's  White  Dent,  which 
averaged  GO. 4  bushels  per  acre.  The  lowest  yield  was  produced  by 
Minnesota  No.  23,  which  yielded  38.6  bushels  per  acre.  The  average 
yield  of  all  the  varieties  was  51.8  bushels  per  acre.  Northwestern 
Dent,  the  second  best  yielder,  was  the  earliest  in  maturity,  but  the 
differences  in  time  of  maturity  of  the  different  varieties  were  not 
great. 

MANGELS. 

The  increasing  interest  in  dairy  farming  on  the  project  make-  it 
desirable  that  satisfactory  forage  crops  be  found  for  use  in  supple- 
menting alfalfa  in  the  rations  fed  to  milk  cows.  Mangels  are  generally 
considered  one  of  the  best  supplementary  feeds  for  this  class  of 
stock.  In  order  to  determine  how  mangels  would  behave  under  the 
conditions  on  the  project,  a  quarter-acre  plat  (fig.  3)  in  field  A  was 
planted  in  rows  21  inches  apart,  and  when  the  plants  came  up  they 
were  thinned  to  10  inches  within  the  row.  The  crop  was  irrigated 
three  times  and  harvested  on  October  25.  A  yield  of  26  tons  per 
acre  was  secured. 


KM. I.    IKIill.  V  I  ION    III      1  I    \\ 


Aii  experiment  was  conducted  in  1913  on  two  quarter-acre  plate 
in  field  A  to  determine  the  effect  of  fall  irrigation  "f  land  to  be 
planted  to  Sax.  One  plat  was  heavllj  irrigated  on  November  8, 
1912,  and  the  other  was  not  irrigated  in  the  full.  During  1913 
ila\  was  grown  KM  l>otli  plats  and  given  the  same  treatmenl  through- 
out ilif  season.  The  fall-irrigated  plat  yielded  at  the  rate  <>f  18 
bushels  per  acre  and  the  other  j » 1  .•  1 1  produced  L8.6  bushels  per  acre. 
The  absence  of  an)  effect  on  the  yield  of  the  fall-irrigated  plat  was 
probably  due  to  the  unusually  heavj  rainfall  in  the  autumn  <>P  L912, 
as  previously  mentioned.  This  experiment  has  been  enlarged  and 
u ill  l>r  continued  in  1914. 

PASTDRK<GRASS  MIXTI  RES. 

In  order  to  determine  the  feasibility  of  pasturing  on  the  irrigated 
lands  of  the  project,  a  test  of  pasture-grass  mixtures  was  started  on 


FM.S.    a  pl.it  of  mangels  al  the  BeDe  Fcrarche  Experiment  Farm  In  Pit  vrhicb  fielded  it  to 
of  .ti  tana  pet  ten     Utngeta  promise  to  be  .1  valuable  atop  ("r  .i.urv  brmera  on  th«  project. 

field  Iv  in  1913.  The  seed  used  was  furnished  by  the<  Office  of  Forage- 
Crop  [nvestigations.  Three  different  mixtures  were  planted  on  three 
quarter-acre  plats.  These  mixtures,  which  were  planted  <>n  May  24, 
contained  the  seed  of  the  grasses  and  legumes  mentioned  below  and 
were  planted  .-it  the  rates  specified  in  pounds  per  acre 

Mi.rt'ir,  A.  This  mixture  contained  timothy,  1  pounds;  redtop, 
t  pounds;  Kentucky  bluegrass,  I  pounds;  orchard  grass,  6  pounds; 
awnless  brome-grass  (Bromus  inermis)  2  pounds;  meadow  fescue,  2 
pounds;  tall  fescue,  _'  pounds;  Italian  rye-grass,  2  pounds;  western 
wheat-grass,  •;  pounds;  and  perennial  rye-grass,  2  pound-. 


14 

Mixture  B. — Mixture  B  was  the  same  as  mixture  A,  except  that  2 
pounds  of  white  clover  and  2  pounds  of  alsike  clover  seed  were  added. 

Mixture  C. — The  same  grasses  and  legumes  were  included  in 
mix  lure  C  as  in  mixture  B  and  2  pounds  of  alfalfa  seed  were  added. 

These  pasture-grass  mixtures  were  planted  on  land  that  was 
summer-fallowed  in  1912.  The  land  was  disked  and  harrowed  in  the 
spring  and  kept  free  from  weeds  previous  to  planting.  A  disk  drill 
was  used  in  planting,  but  there  was  some  difficulty  in  getting  the 
drill  to  sow  evenly,  as  the  seed  was  so  coarse  and  light  that  it  would 
not  readily  fall  into  the  seed  cups.  For  several  weeks  after  planting 
it  looked  very  doubtful  whether  a  stand  would  be  secured,  but  after 
the  first  irrigation,  on  July  19,  the  plants  came  up  rapidly  and  the 
stand  continued  to  improve  until  the  end  of  the  growing  season, 
at  which  time  there  was  a  good  stand  on  all  three  plats.  It  was 
found  desirable  to  irrigate  as  frequently  as  every  10  days  during 
the  hottest  weather,  in  order  to  keep  the  plants  growing  continu- 
ously. The  crop  was  clipped  once  during  the  season,  but  there  was 
not  enough  plant  growth  to  determine  yields.  It  is  expected  that 
these  plats  will  be  pastured  in  the  summer  of  1914  to  determine 
whether  it  is  practicable  to  pasture  stock  on  these  irrigated  lands 
and  to  find  out  which  of  the  mixtures  gives  the  best  results. 

TIME-OF-BREAKING  EXPERIMENTS. 

An  experiment  was  started  in  1911  to  determine  the  effect  on 
dry-land  grain  yields  of  breaking  sod  land  at  different  times  of  the 
year.  This  work  was  done  on  field  D,  which  is  not  irrigated.  A 
quarter-acre  plat  was  plowed  each  month  from  April  to  October, 
inclusive,  in  1911  and  1912,  and  one  plat  was  plowed  in  April,  1913. 
The  plat  plowed  on  April  1,  1911,  was  replowed,  or  backset,  in  the 
fall  of  1911,  and  the  one  plowed  April  1,  1912,  was  replowed  in  the 
fall  of  1912.  In  1912  the  eight  plats  plowed  in  1911  were  planted 
to  Sixty-Day  oats,  but  because  of  the  severe  drought  of  1912  no 
crop  was  produced  and  the  plats  were  all  plowed  in  the  fall.  In  the 
spring  of  1913  these  eight  plats,  and  also  eight  plats  which  were 
plowed  from  April  to  October,  1912,  and  one  plat  which  was  plowed 
on  April  15,  1913,  were  all  seeded  to  Sixty-Day  oats.  Plat  9,  which 
was  plowed  April  1,  1912,  was  backset  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  Be- 
tween the  time  of  plowing  and  that  of  planting,  all  plats  were  kept 
free  from  weeds  by  shallow  cultivation  with  a  disk  and  a  harrow. 
The  yields  obtained  in  1913  are  piven  in  Table  VII. 


L5 


Tabi  i    \  1 1       )  Belli 

I 


Time  "i 


i  m 

I 
I 

ina 


Yield  i  • 


1 

III  1 

ll> 

.11 

204 

<•) 


IituhrU. 

1           ! 

' 

' 

116 

Oct      1 

III 

.9 

1  I'll. 

The  land  on  which  ihi>  experiment  was  located  ia  fairly  uniform  but 
of  poor  quality,  the  shale  coining  \  ery  close  to  the  Burface.  Owing 
to  ext  remely  dry  conditions  in  July,  the  crop  of  1913  was  \  erj  aearrj 
a  failure  on  all  the  plats.  There  was  a  slight  increase  in  yield,  how- 
ever,  on    the   backset    plats   and   on    the    plats    plowed    in    the   early 

rammer.  The  chief  indication  of  the  results  obtained  is  that  it  ^ 
not  a  desirable  practice*  to  plant  oats  on  hind  during  the  same  Bpring 

in  which   the  land   is   broken.      The  experiment   will    he  continued    in 

191  t  on  plats  broken  during  the  season  of  I'M:;. 

TREE  PLANTING. 

Tests  of  various  kinds  of  tree-,  for  -hade,  ornamental,  and  wind- 
break purposes  have  been  carried  on  in  cooperation  with  the  Foresl 
Service  since  1909.     During  the  firsl  three  years  all  the  work  was 

done  on  land  above  the  canal,  hut   in   1912  -nine  plantings  were  made 

on  irrigated  land. 

Dry  haul.  In  the  spring  of  1909  about  ■'!  acre-  of  dry  land  were 
planted  to  the  following  tree-:  Cottonwood,  white  and  golden  wil- 
low, black  locust,  honey  locust,  green  ash,  Siberian  pea,  Russian 

white   olive,    Scotch    pine.    Black    Hills   -priice,    and    led    cedar.      The 

spring  of  1909  was  very  favorable,  and  all  the  tree-,  made  a  g I 

growth  during  the  year.  They  came  through  the  winter  of  1909 
and  1910  without  any  winterkilling  except  the  black  locust  and  the 
-     'tch  pine.      The  black  locusl  killed  hack  rather  badly  and  ino-t  <>f 

the  Scotch  pine  killed  out  entirely. 

In  the  spring  of  1910,  Austrian  pine  and  hackberry  trees  were 
added  to  the  plantings.  Tin1  Austrian  pine  was  a  total  failure,  hut 
aboul  half  a  -tand  <>f  hackberry  was  obtained.  The  season  of  L910 
was  extremely  dry,  but  all  the  tree-  which  started  growth  in  the 
Bpring  made  a  good  growth  during  the  season,  except  the  willow-. 


16 

which  suffered  considerably  from  drought.  During  the  winter  of 
1910-11  there  was  no  winterkilling  of  any  of  the  species.  The  sum- 
mer of  1911  was  the  driest  on  record,  the  rainfall  for  the  year  being 
only  6.64  inches.  The  trees  made  but  little  growth  during  the  sum- 
mer, but  none  of  the  varieties  was  killed  by  the  drought.  They  all 
passed  successfully  through  the  winter  of  1911-12.  All  the  trees 
made  a  good  growth  during  the  summer  of  1912.  There  was  an 
abundance  of  rain  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  and  early  fall, 
so  the  season's  growth  did  not  ripen  up  well  to  go  into  the  winter. 
During  the  whiter  of  1912-13  the  Cottonwood  and  black  locust  were 
killed  to  the  ground  and  nearly  all  the  other  varieties  were  killed 
back  to  some  extent.  The  only  varieties  that  came  through  without 
any  winterkilling  were  the  green  ash,  Siberian  pea,  honey  locust, 
and  red  cedar.  Of  these  species  the  green  ash  and  Siberian  pea  are 
the  most  hardy  and  desirable.  While  both  of  these  are  slow  growing, 
the  fact  that  they  withstand  the  severe  conditions  of  drought  and 
cold  on  the  western  plains  makes  them  valuable. 

It  has  been  found  at  the  experiment  farm  that  to  grow  trees  success- 
fully the  land  must  be  thoroughly  cultivated  until  the  trees  shade 
the  ground  enough  to  keep  out  the  weeds  and  native  grasses.  It 
is  best  to  use  1 -year-old  or  2-year-old  stocks,  as  small  trees  are  much 
more  readily  started  than  larger  ones.  While  the  trees  are  small,  it 
is  desirable  to  have  them  rather  close  together,  as  it  is  then  much 
easier  to  keep  them  free  from  weeds.  The  trees  at  the  experiment 
farm  were  planted  4  feet  apart  in  rows  6  feet  apart.  After  the  second 
year,  thinning  should  begin  and  continue  as  the  trees  require  more 
space. 

Irrigated  land. — About  7  acres  of  land  are  used  for  testing  trees  under 
irrigation.  The  following  are  included  in  the  plantings  made  in  1912 
and  1913:  Cottonwrood,  wiiite  elm,  green  ash,  Siberian  pea,  Russian 
white  olive,  white  willow,  white  elm,  bull  pine,  and  jack  pine.  Of 
these,  the  cottonwood,  white  elm,  wiiite  willow,  and  green  ash  were 
planted  in  the  spring  of  1912.  A  good  stand  of  green  ash  and  wiiite 
elm  was  secured,  but  a  very  poor  stand  of  cottonwood  was  obtained, 
because  of  the  poor  condition  of  the  trees  when  they  were  received. 
During  the  winter  of  1912-13  the  wiiite  elm  and  cottonwood  killed 
back  very  badly,  but  they  made  a  vigorous  growth  in  1913. 

The  remainder  of  the  species  mentioned  were  planted  in  the  spring 
of  1913.  Good  stands  wrere  secured  except  hi  the  case  of  the  re- 
planted cottonwoods.  The  work  with  trees  under  irrigation  has  not 
progressed  far  enough  to  warrant  any  specific  recommendations 
as  to  which  species  should  be  planted  by  farmers  on  the  project. 


SOIL-DYNAMITING    I  \l'l  RIMENT. 

lu  order  to  determine  the  effect  <»f  dynamiting  on  the  Boil,  an  ex- 
perimenl  was  started  in  the  full  of  1912  on  three  tenth-acre  plate 
in  field  B,  which  lies  above  the  canal.  PlatB  \  1 !  I  I,  was  dynamited 
as  described  below,  and  the  two  other  plats,  which  lie  one  on  cadi 
side  of  i>liit  B  VIII  I.  were  used  as  checks.  The  dynamited  plat 
produced  oats  in  1910,  was  fallow  in  1911,  and  produced  millel  in 
1912;  and  plal  B  \  II  i.  "n(>  "f  the  check  plats,  was  treated  in  the 
Bame  waj  in  1910,  1911,  and  1912.  The  other  check  plat,  B  1X-1, 
was  manured  in  the  fall  of  1910  :it  the  rate  of  20  tons  per  acre,  and 
produced  oats  in  1911  and  1912.  All  three  plats  were  plowed  Sep- 
tember 20,  1912. 

On  October  22,  1912,  plat  B  VIII  l  was  dynamited.  Dynamite 
of  20  per  rent  strength  \\  as  used,  the  shots  being  placed  20  feel  apart , 
8  holes  to  a  plat.  The  holes  were  :;  feel  deep,  and  one-half  pound 
<>f  dynamite  was  used  for  each  shot.  The  cost  of  this  operation 
including  dynamite,  fuse,  caps,  and  labor,  was  S12  per  acre.  In 
the  Bpring  of   1913  all  three  plats  were  given  uniform  treatment   and 

Beeded  to  Sixty-]  >ay  oats. 

The  dynamited  plat,  yielded  IS. I  bushels  per  acre,  and  the  two 
check  plats  yielded  25.9  and  24.1  bushels  per  acre,  respectively. 
The  average  of  all  the  dry-land  oat  plate  in  field  B  was  23.9  bushels 
per  acre.  The  crop  conditions  were  favorable  up  to  Jurj  i .  hut  after 
that  all  the  dry-land  crops  Buffered  from  drought. 

While    this   one   year's    result-    do    OOl    warrant    a    statement    that 

dynamiting  is  detrimental,  it  i-  important  to  state  that  the  results 
obtained  on  the  dynamited  plat  were  similar  to  those  usualrj  obtained 

in   dry   years   at    the   experiment    farm  on   land   which   i-   deep    tilled. 

particularly  where  subsoiling  is  practiced.  In  1914  the  three  plats 
used  in  the  dynamiting  experiment  will  be  planted  again  to  the  same 
crop,  to  mv  what  the  effect  of  dynamiting  will  be  two  years  after  the 
operation. 

GARDEN  VEGETAB1  l  9. 

In  1912  and  1913,  a  number  of  differenl  varieties  of  garden 

tables  were  grown  under  irrigation  at  the  experiment  farm.  The  list 
given  below  contain-  the  name-  of  the  varieties  which  have  given 
satisfactory  results.  A  view  of  a  part  of  the  vegetable  garden  a-  it 
appeared  in  August,  I'M.;,  is  shown  in  figure  I. 

Cabhaiji.  Disco  Kureka  and  Premium  Flat  Dutch.  The  tir-t 
named  is  the  earlier  maturing. 

Cauliflower.  Dwarf  Erfurt  and  Early  Snowball.  The  first  named 
is  preferred. 


18 

Pumpkin. — Small  Sugar,   Japanese  Pie,    and   Connecticut   Field. 
The  last  named  is  rather  late  in  maturing. 

Sweet  corn. — Peep  o'  Day,  Black  Mexican,  and  Disco  Evergreen. 
Watermelon.  -Sweet  Heart,  Cole's  Early,  and  Fordhook  Early. 

Muskmelon. — Emerald  Gem,  Rocky  Ford,  and  Disco  Gem. 

Cucumber. — Arlington  White  Spine  and  Improved  Long  Green. 

Squash. — Yellow  Summer  Crookneck,  Golden  Hubbard,  Mammoth, 
and  Delicious. 

Tomato. — Acme,  Ponderosa,  and  Earliana. 

Bean. — Early  Red  Valentine,   Detroit  "Wax,  Wardwell's   Kidney 
Wax,  and  Seibert's  Pole  Lima. 

Turnip. — Extra  Early  Milan  and  Purple  Top  Strap  Leaf. 

Pea. — Stratagem  and  Thomas  Laxton. 


Fig.  4.—  View  in  the  vegetable  garden  at  the  Belle  Fourche  Experiment  Farm  in  1913.    Eighteen 
different  kinds  of  vegetables  have  been  successfully  grown  here. 

Beet. — Crosby's  Early,  Detroit  Dark  Red,  and  Edmand's  Blood 
Turnip. 

Radish. — Early  Scarlet  Globe,  Early  Scarlet  Turnip,  and  French 
Breakfast. 

Lettuce. — Grand  Rapids,  May  King,  and  Prize  Head. 

Onion. — Yellow  Globe  Danvers  and  Large  Red  Globe 

Parsnip. — Hollow  Crown  and  Guernsey. 

( 'arrot. — Oxheart,  Danvers  Half  Long,  and  Chantenay 


FUTURE  WORK. 


Practically  all  the  work  conducted  at  the  experiment  farm  in  1913 
will  be  continued  in  1914,  and  several  new  experiments  will  be  started. 
Among  the  tests  recently  inaugurated  tire  extensive  experiments  in 


Ill 

full  irrigal  ii»ii  with  "uts,  beete,  flax,  potatoes,  barley,  corn,  and  wheal ; 
mi  experiment  to  determine  the  most  satisfactory   rate  of  planting 
for  corn;  and  a  variety  test  with  potatoes.     As  rapidlj  as  result 
Becured  thej  will  be  published  for  the  benefit  of  the  farmers  on  the 
project . 

Approved : 

W'u.  A.  T\i  LOB, 

( Tnefqf  Bureau, 

Jim     6,   191  I. 

O 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


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DEPOSITOR! 


